Amazon’s Unsafe Conditions Backfire in France

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Distribution of Goods from Amazon is suspended within France. This follows after the French Labour Union approached their courts, requesting that Non-Essential Deliveries be terminated throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic. This complaint from the union indicated that Amazon wasn’t providing their employees with the proper medical equipment. Investigations from the courts noted that these complaints were valid and that the lives of employees were endangered.

Amazon provided their continued denial of unsafe working conditions, demanding that they maintain one of the best warehouse operations worldwide. Documentation globally indicates that these claims are falsified, with regular reports revealing that employees are fired for using the lavatory or requesting a sick day. Regardless, Amazon Representatives from France claimed their perplexed by this decision. They believe that complied with COVID-19 conditions and don’t deserve a $1.1 million fine. Amazon Lawyers plan to appeal this ruling, which demanded that warehouses be immediately shut down.

The French Courts cited high penalties onto the Amazon company for inherently making logistical activities complex for employees. Distribution centres were forced to suspend operational activities, with the governing body not concerned with Amazon’s financial loss. This follows after Amazon representatives claimed they made a significant investment into ensuring the safety of employees in warehouses.

Video evidence from the workforce shows the opposite, with zero medical equipment or hand sanitizer available. Company-wide memos also indicated that employees could not purchase medical equipment from their stocks. Video evidence also showed individuals less than two feet from each other, with upwards of 50+ employed civilians in one distribution hallway. These conditions could create another significant outbreak of COVID-19 in France.

The Backlash

Labour Union Representatives in France are now concerned about the significant backlash of their decision. Hours after warehouses were shut down, employees with Amazon in North America were terminated for trying to create public protests. These protests related to safer working conditions in North America, with Amazon repeating similar tactics from France into the United States and Canada. These Union Reps worry that Amazon will terminate the French workforce for the significant penalties and distribution centre closures. It should be mentioned that aggressive behaviour from Amazon won’t be tolerated in France. Additional sanctions will ensure if the livelihood of employees is threatened.